No. 4 UConn proved just a little little bit of hydration can go a good distance in a Dec. 21 win over DePaul.
The Huskies (12-1, 2-0 Huge East) had been struggling when junior guard Silas Demary Jr. abruptly needed to depart the ground. He got here again sturdy, nevertheless, to steer the Huskies to a 72-54 win.
UConn takes the ground once more Wednesday when it travels to Cincinnati to tackle Xavier (9-4, 1-1) in a Huge East matchup.
Because it seems, Demary was simply dehydrated. The junior guard completed with 13 factors, seven rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and solely two turnovers.
The Georgia switch’s efficiency was key for the Huskies, who had been lacking main scorer Solo Ball due to an injured wrist.
“Silas is a kind of guys that’s just like the quarterback on the ground,” UConn coach Dan Hurley mentioned. “What he has dropped at our program’s identification is past the numbers. He has modified our complete identification. The delicate identification we had as a defensive group … he modified all that for us.
“His method is actual sensible,” Hurley continued. “We want him to be extra assertive and extra aggressive, however with Solo out, we would have liked him to create extra scoring alternatives.”
Ball, who’s averaging 15.4 factors per recreation, will play in opposition to Xavier, Hurley mentioned on Monday.
Demary is averaging 9 factors and 4.7 rebounds and leads the Huskies with 75 complete assists in 13 video games.
Senior ahead Alex Karaban had a game-high 21 factors in opposition to DePaul and averages 13.6 factors and 5.3 rebounds per recreation this season.
Tarris Reed Jr. had 14 factors and a game-high 11 rebounds in opposition to DePaul. The senior heart averages 14.5 factors and seven.5 rebounds.
Reed and freshman heart Eric Reibe share the group lead with 18 blocks every. Karaban has blocked 14 pictures.
Xavier is coming off an 80-77 highway win over Georgetown on Dec. 20 when the Musketeers gained regardless of an enormous drawback on the free-throw line.
The Hoyas made 25 of 43 free throws, whereas the Musketeers took solely 14 foul pictures, making 11.
“I inform my group on a regular basis you can’t win on this league in the event you do not win the toughness battle,” Xavier coach Richard Pitino mentioned. “We do not drive the refs to name fouls. It’s a must to drive the refs to decide by being aggressive.”
It was the Musketeers’ fourth win by 5 factors or much less.
“Whenever you actually worth the ball, you win video games like that,” Pitino mentioned. “They’ve a calmness to them they usually simply appear to discover a strategy to make an enormous shot down the stretch.”
Senior ahead Tre Carroll, who transferred after enjoying three seasons at Florida Atlantic, leads the Musketeers with 16.5 factors per recreation and in addition averages 5.6 rebounds. He has additionally blocked 10 pictures.
“(Carroll) actually has had some superb moments,” Pitino mentioned. “He has been terrific down the stretch.”
Senior guard Roddie Anderson III averages 12.7 factors per recreation and sophomore ahead Jovan Milicevic is contributing 11.6 factors and 4.3 rebounds per contest.
Senior ahead Filip Borovicanin is knocking down a team-high 7.5 rebounds per recreation and has blocked 10 pictures.
Xavier outrebounded Georgetown 45-36, which Pitino thinks is vital for his group.
“You’ll not win on the market with simply finesse,” he mentioned. “It’s a must to be bodily each evening.”
–Area Degree Media
